About myself Flashcards
Q. Tell me about yourself.
My name is Iqbal Bahar. I was born in Bangladesh and I have been living in Australia since 1989. I live with my wife and two children in South West of Sydney a suburb called Prestons. I have over 15 years of ICT experience and 10 of these years related to operational applications business analysis and project management.
I started my ICT career with Westpac bank as quality assurance personal where my job was organising user acceptance testing for its mainframe release. I was there for a short period of time and left before IBM took over Westpac’s IT operations. In 1998 I joined South Eastern Area health service where I had the opportunity to involve in implementation of pathology lab management system and time and attendance system. In 2001 I joined IT Magnet, a custom software development company as an analyst programmer and soon got promoted to senior business analysts and project manager where I had the opportunity to implement a number of enterprise applications for Australian corporate and government sectors.
In 2011 I joined E-tivity Corporation as a senior business analyst. E-tivity Corporation provides Human resource and time and attendee software solution to Australian government departments, Kmart Australia, SA health, MacDonald’s etc.
I am a CBAP certified business analyst, which is the highest level of certification for a Business analyst. In Australia there 265 CBAP certified BAs and I am one of them.
Q. Tell us about your current company
E-tivity Corporation owns a Human Resource and workforce management software system called E-tivity enterprise. It is a large and complex system. A single implementation of E-tivity enterprise can provide HR and workforce related information services to entire organisation including global operation. Its clients base include Kmart Australia, JB Hifi, Dicksmith, hotel intercontinental group. It employs around 60 people and has office in Sydney, Melbourne and Bangalore.
Q. Can you please describe your current job?
My role as a senior Business Analyst I gather organisation and end user requests for the system changes and innovation needs. I will gather these requests from existing documents, service desk system or requirement management tool, workshop or one to one meeting. In addition, I will review each request with the requestor and prepare a business case for the product manager to consider the initiative.
My business case will include business objectives, size, impact on existing feature, value added, cost and suitable resources.
Once I receive the product manager approval to go ahead with an initiative, my next task would be transforming the stated requirements into software specification document for the authorised stakeholder to sign off and developer to do the development. The specification document will include description of individual process and business rules, various models such as, Use case, context diagram, data dictionary, functional and non-functional requirements ,easy enough for stakeholders to understand and technical enough for the development to commence development.
While development will continue, I will always be available to the developers for clarification and confirmation. I will update the user guide, prepare UAT test environment. Once UAT is completed I may be involve with the infrastructure team actual deployment and implementation consultant train them about the new feature or module.
Q. Describe a typical day /work week for you.
I arrive my work at 10past seven. First thing I do, I turn my computer on and immediately walk to the kitchen to make myself a cappuccino. Then I will spend next 40 to 50 minutes reading my email and updating my tasks in Outlook task list. I also maintain a spate spreadsheet as a to do list, so I will update that too.
From 8 to 9 I will write and reply emails. I also type my comment in Project management system if I find the development or testing team asks for any clarification or confirmation.
Next 30 to 40 minutes I will spend making phone calls to discuss with internal staffs or clients about the new development requests or change requests they have logged in the requirements management system. I will log in to the Requirement management system to add my comments on Requirements that I have discussed with the requestor. This will be according to the plan that I have prepared earlier.
I will make myself another cup of coffee and will have a causal or work related short conversation with my colleagues. From 10 am I will engage with my assigned task; this could vary from FRS documentation to documenting a Business case for a new development, preparation for a workshop, conducting RND for a new module. I will be at lunch from1 to2 pm, and form 2 to 5 pm I will continue with my assigned task. Around 5 pm I stop and open the project management system to update my task status, for example 30% to 50% completed. Often I type comment on the task to notify my manager if I encounter any issue that may cause delay. 5:15 I leave office to catch 5:30 train.
Q. Tel us about your last project
My last project was redesign E-tivity enterprise. This involves converting existing windows based Client server application to a HTML 5 browser based application which will take advantage of cloud computing and also will be accessible by tablets and mobile devices. My role as a senior business analyst, I was responsible for, business analysis planning, requirements gathering, requirement management and tracking, , user interfaces design, solutions assessment and validation, and monitoring and mentoring organisation’s other business analysts.
Q. How do you update your knowledge?
I am a member of international institute of Business Analyst (IIBA); from there I receive articles related to Business analyst best practices. I am also a member of Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) from them I receive a monthly printed magazine about the latest Microsoft’s technologies. I am subscribed to ZDnet online magazine for Business Analyst and Project management related topics. Recently I become CBAP certified Business Analyst. At present I am preparing for the Prince 2 certification.
Also, When I need to learn something new, I would buy a E-book about the topic, watch some videos in Utub, download a triail version of software and run a dummy project see how it works.
Q. Tell us about your strength
My biggest strength is my ICT knowledge. I can build a PC buying hardware from the market, I can code, I can configure a router at basic level off course, I can design complex database and document enterprise application using object modeling.
Q.Tell us about your weakness
As a senior business analyst my weakness is xls. Spread sheet is a very important tool for any business analyst, my knowledge in Spread sheet needs improvement, for that I am thinking to enrol in a TAFE course.
Q. Tell us about your recent success 1
February this year, the product manager informed me that the Sales would like to participate in a government tender but our product currently doesn’t have a module that is pre requisite for the tender. She asked me what we can do about that. The module is about the ability to track employee location is using GPRS technology on a digital map and the ability to identify the most suitable employee for a job using employee location, client location, client preferences and employee’s skills set. On that day I spent few hours to analysis the stated requirements and manage to document some capability statements to outline the required enhancements to the system that will support those requirements. These statements were included into the tender submission. In May, the product manager called me to her room and informed me that we had been sort listed for the tender which will require sales team to give the product demo to some key decision makers and a conceptual model of mobile workforce module needs to be included in that presentation. She requested me come up with a solution. To illustrate what actual implementation will look like, I worked next three days to create 8 to 9 mock-up user interfaces as close as possible to the actual look and feel using Photoshop and Microsoft Visio. These user interfaces were included in the presentation and we secured the tender. Later I learned that the screens that were presented hold far more advance capabilities than what two other commentators currently have and my solution for the Mobile Workforce management module played an important role securing the tender. My last performance review I was able to use this success to increase my salary.
Q. Tell us about your recent success 2
February this year I became involved in an internal project to replace XYZ’s then helpdesk system called Gemini. Initially the Infrastructure department selected a system called Ramadi to replace Gemini with the estimated cost of 90K once off and 12k annual licensing fees. However they were told to come up with a business case to justify the cost, that’s when I got assigned to the task to prepare the business case for the project.
To stat, I met Infrastructure department head Danijel Plazonic and asked him two questions why have we decided to replace Gemini, and whey did Infrastructure select Ramadi. I immediately noticed that Danijel is not happy that management asked for a business case, he thinks whole exercise is a waste of his and my time. Nevertheless he informed me that we need to replace Gamini because xyz has decided to expand its operation in US, UK and India, therefore Infrastructure needs a system that can support its global operation in 24*7. And Danijel selected Ramidi because he used that system at his previous work and fully aware of its capabilities.
I then spent a couple of days to identify and document features in Ramidi and spoke with couple of friends who use Ramid in their organisation. I documented Ramidi features in a spreadsheet where I used a worksheet for each module and a column to describe functions, another column to select whether the function is essential, Desirae or not needed and a column to comment on if the function is essential or desirable.
I sent the spreadsheet to Danijel with request to select an item from the second column and type comment in third column where he feels necessary. After three follow-ups and three weeks later I received the updated version.
In my business case I included Ramid and other two products, one of the product was Kayaoko, which has all the functions Danijel required cost of $3K once of and $500 annual subscription fees. If needed the vendor will do any developments require integrating with our internal system at $60 an hour. Their system is currently used by Toshibal, GE finance and even NASA. In May we all received an email from Infrastructure that project to replace Gemini with Kayako will start soon.
I saved XYZ $87K and $7.5k each year
Q. What has been the biggest disappointment in your life?
During my time at IT magnet, I was assigned to design an estimation and project management system for a small construction company called JCG Constructions. At our first meeting the owner of that company said to me “Iqbal you’re the expert so I will leave this to your capable hands”. I banked on that word and design the system what I thought the best without proper process or elicitation. Once the system was implemented it had no use, awful would be the right word to describe it. There were serious arguments went on between both parties, I felt tribal wanted to resign but I did not. I learned two lessons from that mistake, first one is, I am not the expert, and my users are I am just a facilitator. Never underestimate intelligent of tradesmen in this country just because they swear a lot.
Q. What will you miss most about your current job?
I will miss my colleagues, they are a bunch of wonderful people, especially my manager and product manager, both were extremely helpful. I will miss my clients who would deeply appreciate even for very small things I did for them. I will miss XYZ enterprise, a large and complex enterprise system, lot to learn and contribute.
Q. Why did you choose this particular career path?
Since when I was a student I loved the challenge of programing and problem solving. That is why in 2002 I left NSW health to join a small software development firm ITM, so I can program. During that time Business analysis came natural to me. Because I had better modeling and documentation skills compare to others, the business owner promoted me to BA position 8 months after I joined. Since then I have always been a Business Analyst. I am glad that I choose that career path.
Q. What are your aspirations beyond this job?
Be honest with you John. I like being a Business Analyst. To me it is an exciting profession; also I think business analysts play an important role for their organisation. I will be joining with your organisation with a long terms vision and goal. If opportunity arises, I probably like to manage projects or a business analysis team.
Q. Why do you think this industry would sustain your interest in the long haul?
